As users read documents, they often annotate the document with a variety of related items of information, by writing notes in margins or on the front of the document, by underlining, circling and otherwise “marking-up” the text. Annotations take the form of commentaries on the text, notes of other related items, and consequences for future activities. Examples of annotations with consequences for future actions, include notes to send copies of the documents or extracts of the document to others, indications of how the document should be filed, if the document should be deleted, or should the document be passed to a next level in a work flow process. In general then the annotation can provide instructions of what should next happen to the document. Many digital document systems provide an annotation capability to allow users to add notes of interest to documents. Annotations are provided in a variety of ways, including but not limited to in-line annotations, or out-of-band annotations such as linked comments or marginal notes, or by entry of voice controlled inserts.
In existing annotation systems, the annotations are done only for a user's benefit or for collaborative efforts such as identifying changes made by different users. Also, a system interpretations of the annotations for further actions are not provided. Rather, the interpretation of the annotations are done solely by human intervention and if the annotation requires further action, such action is taken through human action.
For example, if an electronic note indicates the document should be “sent to Fred”, it would be necessary for the user of the open document system to manually e-mail, fax, transfer to a different file system, or otherwise make the document available to Fred.
The present invention intends to overcome the drawbacks related to requiring human intervention for the carrying out of annotations directed to consequences for future actions which will be taken with regard to the document.